Expansion in Edinburgh follows Glasgow success
INSPIRING BARBERS can become fully qualified in just 15 weeks as a booming barbering business announces a new training academy in the capital.
Sovereign Grooming will launch the academy in July within its New Waverley salon in Edinburgh’s city centre and is looking to train up 52 students per year across its two academies.
After investing £500,000 last year to launch its first barbering school and salon in Glasgow, Sovereign Grooming is set to expand the successful programme in Edinburgh in a continuing bid to address the significant skills gap in the male grooming industry.
The centrally located 1,200 sq. ft. space sits across two floors and will be transformed to feature both the original salon and the new academy, allowing budding barbers the chance to get first-hand salon experience.
Kyle Ross, who founded Sovereign Grooming, has a decade of experience under his belt as one of Scotland’s top barbers and will be training students one-to-one alongside elite barbers Liam Allen and Nathan Robb – who have both been shortlisted for Barber of the Year at the upcoming Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards.
Kyle said: “We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our Edinburgh academy which will complement our Glasgow branch in helping to close the skills gap we are seeing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our Glasgow academy aims to qualify 36 students each year and the new Edinburgh facility will add an abundance of exciting graduates to the industry’s talent pool, with the ambition of training 600 barbers over the next decade.”
Sovereign Grooming’s students benefit from hands-on training throughout the programme and work towards achieving an SVQ Level 2 Barbering qualification which is recognised worldwide. The academy teaches the day-to-day workings of a leading men’s grooming brand while providing students with extra skills in photo shoots, session styling, stage presenting and fashion styling.
The Edinburgh academy will also offer advancement courses to established hairdressers and barbers, carrying out bespoke and tailored sessions to suit student needs.
Kyle said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this in Edinburgh for people considering a career in the male grooming sector. We want the Edinburgh academy to train the next generation of expert barbers right here in the centre of Scotland’s capital and it’s great to be able to provide that service over a 15-week period.
“It’s been rewarding to train up Glasgow students and we’re thoroughly enjoying setting people off on their barbering career path. The time is right for expanding this in Edinburgh to help barbers kickstart that journey.”
Kyle Ross opened Sovereign Grooming in his hometown of Aberdeen in 2016 which has since expanded to Edinburgh and Glasgow establishing itself with its luxury male grooming services. 2022 saw the brand’s expansion into barbering training, with the launch of its three-story salon in Glasgow’s city centre.
Kyle was named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year in 2017, a year which also saw him win Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards. He won Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in Germany and was subsequently named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards 2018. Going from strength to strength, Kyle was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title in 2019, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted.
